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Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.

Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.

American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.

The group further stated the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.